Aftermath
by Mr Spacebot
Summary: The war is over. The Reapers are gone, but now the crew of the Normandy have to adjust to life without their leader and friend.
1. Chapter 1

Liara felt a flood of cold run through her body. The shock took a moment to process, but then realization came; her connection with Shepard was gone, leaving an empty void behind. In the noise and confusion surrounding her, Liara sat hard on the floor between a pair of cots. As medics rushed around the temporary facility, she put her face in her hands and brought her knees to her chest. "Shepard." Tears blurred her vision and flowed down her cheeks. "Oh, Jane."

**Earth, London**

On the ground Kaiden had seen the bright beam connecting to the citadel flicker and fade out, and heard the notice over the comms that someone had made it in. Two actually. Now he ejected the depleted thermal clip from his rifle and slapped in a new one. He raised the weapon and drew a bead on a husk at the front of a charging group when a wave of blue light washed over them all. The husk stopped.

"What the hell?" he thought before pulling the trigger and taking it down. His team brought down the rest of the group. The wave of husks and cannibals behind those began retreating. He'd never seen that before.

"Major, look!"

Kaiden took his eyes off the retreating group. "Holy shit," Kaiden said in a whisper. A Reaper, one of the big ones lifted off, followed by another and another. Calls started coming in, it was happening everywhere.

"Shepard! She did it."

**Alliance Navy Flagship**

"All ships, disengage. Pull back to the rendezvous." Hackett repeated his order and felt his own ship maneuvering to pull away from the blue sphere of energy expanding out from the Citadel's arms.

On the display he watched the tracks of his fleet as they started to maneuver. Many of them moved too slow to escape; escape who knew what that energy would do. Too many unknowns. What a desperate plan unleashing this thing.

One ship track caught his eye. "Normandy! Get out of there." The ship raced toward the citadel. "Damn it, Jeff, get that ship out of there."

**Normandy**

"Jeff, I'm not sure this course of action is wise."

"EDI, I know what I'm doing." As he plunged Normandy through the expanding sphere, the ship shuddered. "I think," Jeff said. Correcting course and power, steadying the ship.

"I am not picking up life signs from the Citadel, Jeff," EDI said as they closed on the structure that was the Presidium. A second energy wave appeared to be building there. It exploded out, washing over the Normandy. EDI slumped in her chair. The ship's controls went dead.

"EDI! Damn it."

Jeff felt gravity go offline, felt the engines fall silent. Normandy began to arc back to Earth. He fought the urge to shake EDI awake. Unbuckling himself he pushed to the cockpit's hatch and managed to get it open.

"You, get to engineering and get a status report. And you, get the AI core. Get EDI restarted." The two crew members responded immediately, following the luminescent strips on the floor, making their way to the emergency hatches by handhold.

Down in engineering, Tali gripped the railing with her legs, her zero G training finally useful after years. Aiming a light from her omni-tool around the engineering room, she located the switch box with the manual restart, then launched herself across the space and grabbed the edges of the box. With one hand holding herself in place, she opened the cover and tried the switch. It didn't give way.

"Stupid bosh'tet."

"Come on, Tali, use both hands." Adams said from somewhere in the dark.

"Hey, Adams, why didn't you humans know enough to make a switch you could operate in zero-g." Tali switched positions to grip the box between her thighs.

"Blame Cerberus."

She took the switch in both hands and pulled it.

The holographic displays in Normandy's cockpit flashed back to life just as EDI sat up again in her chair. He smiled over at her.

"Jeff. I - debris on collision course. Engines are not yet operational."

The collision alarm sounded, blaring in the small space.

"Get me kinetic barriers." Jeff ordered EDI

"Powering up now."

No sooner had she said it than the Normandy bucked and went spinning. Lights went out. The boom of the collision echoed through the ship. New alarms sounded. Normandy tumbled out of the sky towards Earth.

In sickbay Garrus, still bloody and hurt from the run for the beam, grabbed the edge of the bed just as the individual restraint fields kicked on, holding him and the other casualties in place. James hit the deck. He saw Dr. Chackwas lunge for her chair and it's restraining harness. Then the room pitched sideways violently and went dark for a moment. Whatever hit them sent shockwaves and explosions through the ship with a feeling of finality.

"Shepard kicked them in the nuts."

Garrus held the bed despite the field holding him in place, just in case it failed. "Damn."

**Earth, Brazil**

Normandy came to rest in middle of the forest. Jeff tried to sit completely still. Pain from ribs and hips collar bone told him what he didn't want to know.

"I have activated the distress call," EDI said.

"A little late, EDI." He sucked in a breath. It hurt to speak.

"We have wounded who need to be evacuated."

"I'm one of them."

EDI didn't need to ask, she scanned him through her connection to the ship's internal sensors. "You have twelve broken bones."

"Thanks for the count." The pain through his body grew as the adrenaline of the landing faded. "I think I'm going to just pass out now." Jeff slumped in his chair. EDI caught him and lowered him to the deck before he could fall.

"EDI to Doctor Chakwas."

No response.

Traynor opened the hatch and entered. A trickle of blood ran down the side of her face from a cut on her forehead. She noticed Jeff on the deck.

"Oh, God, he's not dead is he?"

"He has multiple broken bones and internal bleeding."

"We'll get a stretcher and take him to sick bay.

James burst in. "Guys, Doc's hurt pretty bad. Shit, Jeff too?"

**Earth, London**

Kaiden came to the command centre as soon as he was able. Liara sat curled up against a wall between two cots. What had happened.

"She won't let anyone help her," said one of the medtechs. "That's why we called you."

"I understand." Kaiden walked to where Liara sat.

He knelt in front of her. "Liara." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Liara, what is it?"

"She's gone."

Of all people, Liara would know. Kaiden hung his head. "You know she beat them somehow."

"I know. She died for us."

"Yeah. I think she knew she'd have to."

Liara looked up to face Kaiden. "She's the bravest person I've known."

"Yeah."

Liara put her hand on his, and they sat in silence. Around them the command center filled their silence.

"Major Alenko."

He looked up at the tech specialist.

"We have a distress signal from Normandy. It's down in Brazil."

Kaiden stood up. "You have a shuttle?"

"Yes, sir."

"Wait, Kaiden, I'm coming too." Liara stood up and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It's what Shepard would do."

**Earth, Brazil**

They weren't the first shuttle there. Two were already departing. Normandy sat at the end of a long scar through the forest. Parts and debris littered its path. Smoke rose from a gash in its hull. Kaiden and Liara leapt from the descending shuttle as soon as it touched the ground and ran for the Normandy. They climbed the emergency ramp to the open airlock. Inside the only lights were dim emergency lights. Crew members and S&R responders moved on their own missions to help the wounded. Kaiden recognized faces from his time on Normandy, but searched for his friends. James Vega coming toward him, carrying the front of a stretcher, on his way to the airlock.

"Vega."

"Major Alenko, Liara, when did you get here?"

"Just now."

"You got a shuttle? We got wounded to evac."

"Tali" Liara said as she saw who was on the stretcher. The Quarian girl lay unconscious. "Who else? Liara asked.

James paused in his course for the airlock. "Jeff, Doc, Adams. More." Then he started forward again.

"Let's find EDI," Kaiden said.

"I am here." EDI's voice came over the internal speakers. With her integration into Normandy, she was technically everywhere.

"How's Jeff?"

"He had multiple broken bones and internal bleeding. He has been taken to the nearest medical facility."

"They'll take good care of him."

"I am monitoring communications and systems there. His progress is good."

"Where's your…body?"

"It is currently in engineering to assist with repairs."

They found Traynor at the back of the CIC coordinating communication with the incoming and outgoing shuttles. She saluted Kaiden and greeted Liara.

"What happened?" Kaiden asked Traynor.

She updated them on their attempt to reach the Citadel.

"EDI, what's the status out there?"

"All the Reapers have pulled out of the system, and taken the Citadel with them," she said. "Reports across alliance space are the same; withdrawal of all Reaper forces."

"What about Commander Shepard? She's still on the Citadel," Traynor said. "We have to get her."

Liara shook her head. "Shepard's gone." Her voice cracked saying the words again.

"Fucking hell." James said, having joined them. "She can't be."

"James, I know." Liara said.

Traynor looked down at her board. "I'll scan for her transponder."

"Shepard's been in lots of worse spots," James said. "She's still alive."

"James," Liara said. Kaiden saw her start to shake.

"Don't you give up on her!" James shouted.

"I'm not!" Liara's eyes went black, and she slammed James against a bulkhead with her biotics. "Don't you tell me I'm giving up on her. Don't you think I'd know when Shepard's dead?" James grimaced in pain. "Don't you think I'd know, of all people?"

"Liara." Kaiden said, daring to interpose himself and use his own biotic power to break Liara's hold on James.

She turned away and hugged herself. "I'm sorry, James."

Kaiden, helped James to his feet after the broken hold. "Fuck. Lola wasn't supposed to die. She wasn't." He turned and punched the bulkhead hard enough to bloody his knuckles.

"I know. Let's get the rest of the wounded out of here." Kaiden told the others.

"You know, someone should tell Garrus and Tali," James said.

"Yeah," Kaiden said.

"We can both do that," Liara said touching his arm. "As soon as we're done here. We'll need to tell everyone…everyone who survived."

**Emergency Field Hospital, Sao Paulo**

Wounded crowded everywhere there was medical care available. Emergency field hospitals popped up anywhere the staff could find a relatively clean and standing building. In urban battlefields there was little space in the rubble. Kaiden, Liara and James found Garrus and Tali after an hour of searching, with help from Traynor and EDI, in a relatively undamaged town near the remains of Sao Paulo. Dozens of tents gave shelter to thousands of survivors, but tens of thousands more huddled in fields outside the town.

Liara watched from the shuttle window as they passed over them. "How are we going to help them all?"

"I wish I knew," Kaiden said. He couldn't imagine the logistics it would take to feed and heal and shelter everyone left alive.

"The Reapers are gone, but people will continue to die," she said.

"Cleaning up the mess is going to take years," James said.

The shuttle circled low over the hospital roof. Cortez turned in his seat, "I need to make another run. I can be back for you in about an hour."

Kaiden pulled the door open and hopped down. Liara and James followed. The hospital director, a harried young woman who looked like she hadn't slept in days told them where to find their friends. Through a crowded, noisy hall they came to a small room with space for three beds, but where four and a cot were jammed together.

"We're still here and I don't hear shooting, so it's over?" Garrus said from one of the beds. Tali lay in the bed next to Garrus, her suit connected to a number of monitors. "So where's Shepard?"

"Garrus…" Liarra started.

Kaiden didn't know how to read Turian expressions really well, but he could see Garrus' mood take on a steep downward arc. "Don't say it," Garrus said. "I don't want to hear it." He closed his eyes. "I never should have let her order me onto that shuttle."

"You and me both," James said.

"Have they said how Tali is?" Liara changed the subject.

"I'm not sure." One of the doctors shouldered her way through them to Tali's side. "Quarian physiology. I really am just familiar with humans. I'm still interning, and now there are aliens everywhere, and I just don't have the information I need." The young doctor ran a shaky hand through her hair.

"I can help you with that," Liara said. "We'll get her moved to a facility that has the supplies."

"What about you Garrus?"

"I could really use a drink. I could use a whole lot of them."

"Not on my watch," the doctor said.

"You've got to get me out of here," Garrus told them.

"Is he okay to move?" Kaiden asked the doctor.

"He's good enough to travel, and I could use the bed."

Liara asked. "Where are we taking you, Garrus?"

"How the hell should I know?" He paused. "I'm not thinking past getting really, really drunk. I think I've earned that."

When Cortez returned they loaded Tali, still unconscious, into the shuttle. Garrus walked with a cane to support him, refusing any help. On the way to orbit he remained silent, staring at the floor.

"Garrus," Kaiden said. The Turian refused to look up. Kaiden looked at Liara.

She stood up and moved over to him, kneeling by his side and putting a gentle and on his shoulder. "Garrus."

"Don't, Liara. Just let me be angry. I just want to be fucking angry."

Kaiden's omni tool signalled he had an incoming message. He opened it and saw it was Admiral Hackett. "Sir."

"Major Alenko, we've had a development by the relay. I need you to report to my flagship."

"Yes, sir. We're just on our way to the Quarian homeship with Tali, she needs medical attention. I'll report immediately after."

"Very well, major. Hackett out."

"Nice of him to ask about Tali," Garrus said.

"I'm sure he's got a lot on his mind," Kaiden said.

Garrus scowled. "So do I."

"I'm not going to argue. Let's just get Tali to her people," Kaiden said.

"Now approaching Quarian fleet," Cortez said on the speaker "Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay has given us permission to dock with her ship.

They manuevered in to one of the dreadnoughts. Scars from the battle marked its hull, but it seemed not too badly damaged. When they docked, Admiral Raan was there to meet them.

"We'll take Tali right to sickbay," Admiral Raan said.

"I'll stay with Tali," Liara said. "I want to be there when she wakes up. She should hear about Shepard from someone close." Liara put her hand to her face to hide her tears.

"Ok, Liara, that's good. Let us know when she wakes up. Take care."

She dried her eyes then held his gaze for a moment. "I know you're trying to be strong for us, Kaiden, but find some time for yourself."

He nodded and closed the hatch as Liara hurried to catch up to the Quarians and Tali. "Okay, Cortez, take us out."

Sitting on the bench beside the hatch, Kaiden started pulling up situation reports.

"Hey, Major, Liara was right, you been keeping a pretty tight lid on things. You okay?"

Taking a moment to calm himself, he replied. "I'm fine James, there's just a lot to do. A lot to process."

James crossed his arms and looked back at Kaiden. "Got it," he said then closed his eyes.

In spite of his attempts to concentrate in the relative silence of the shuttle, the scrolling reports were just a jumble of letters and numbers. His thoughts kept trying to get away, kept running to images of Shepard just as she left the command centre to try and reach the beam. So beautiful, and fierce. Damn, he thought. Taking a deep breath, he tried again to review the flood of incoming reports.


	2. Chapter 2

Cortez brought them within visual range of the admiral's dreadnought, the bulk of it growing by the second. Surrounding it was a fleet of escorts. Cortez traded hails with them, passed their IFF signature to the air boss on flagship and received clearance to dock.

"We're clear, sir."

"Thanks," Kaiden said. "Damn big aren't they?" There were several other dreadnoughts and large cruisers nearby.

"They sure are." Cortez said. "I love looking at them." He frowned. "Too bad there's a lot fewer of them after today."

Both men fell silent, letting the minutes pass as they drew close to the battleship.

"I'm sorry to—" Cortez said.

"Don't apologize. It's been a shitty day all around."

"Yep. I thought beating the Reapers would feel better."

"And then it turns out we have a whole new set of problems," Kaiden said. "I guess none of us looked past defeating the Reapers."

"None of us really expected to survive the Reapers," Cortez said.

"Shepard did," Kaiden's voice hitched when he said her name. "She had faith in all of us." He stopped not wanting to say more for fear of his voice breaking.

"Do we know how many of us made it?"

"Not yet. Liara's working on it. Not everyone's reported in."

"You know that even the ones who survived might not make it all the way back. I'm speaking from experience. After I lost Robert, I was pretty broken. Shepard helped a lot with that. Being able to talk with her…"

"But Shepard's dead!" Kaiden paused. "Sorry. I know where this is going. I'm not her. I can't be what she was to the group."

"Be yourself then. What I'm trying to say is that even Shepard didn't start out as, you know, Shepard. She grew into the role."

"It's too soon."

"After all the shit we've been through, we need to support each other. And some people need that support right now. Someone has to step up," Cortez said.

The dock control called his attention, so Cortez let it drop. Kaiden excused himself and went into the back of the shuttle.

James looked up and nodded. "Hombre, Cortez is right. And I hate saying' that."

"I'm not discussing it, lieutenant."

"Ok, but you are ranking officer on the team, Major Alenko." James emphasized his rank.

The shuttle bumped to a stop as it landed. Kaiden slid the door open and stepped out into the hangar followed by James and Garrus. The Admiral's aide met them and escorted them to the bridge.

"Major, Lieutenant, Garrus, I'm sorry about Shepard, but I'm glad to see you all alive."

Kaiden saluted. "Admiral. Glad to see you too."

"I've read the updates on your team."

"We're still trying to account for everyone." Kaiden replied. Images of his friends flashed through his memory.

"I know. We're working on it too, though from what I know about Liara, you might hear about them before I do."

"Sir, reports stated there was a second person who made it into the Citadel. Do you know who?" James said.

"Witnesses say it looked like Admiral Anderson, but there were so many others unaccounted for in the attack."

"Reapers don't leave a lot of bodies behind," Garrus said.

"Anderson's one of the MIAs?" Kaiden asked.

"He is." Hackett said.

James shook his head.

"I'm sorry Admiral, I know he was a friend of yours." Kaiden said.

"A friend and a hero. We lost a lot of friends today." Hackett said. "But there'll be time for remembrance later. For now I have a different reason to call you here." Hackett turned to one of his crew. "Ensign, bring up the images."

On the holo-viewer floated an image of the relay, shattered. Debris, parts of the relay and its gyroscopic rings drifted around it.

"This is coming from the Charon relay orbiting Pluto."

"Jesus," James said.

"What the hell did that?" Garrus asked.

"The energy released by the crucible apparently," said Hackett.

"What's that moving?" Kaiden asked, pointing at blurry dots amongst the debris. "They're not drifting like the debris."

"Good eye, Major," Hackett said. "Zoom in."

The broken mass relay expanded as the image zoomed then froze on familiar shapes.

"Fuck me!" James said.

"Reapers," Kaiden said.

"We're tracking three of them," Hackett said.

"So it was all for nothing," Garrus said as he clenched his fists. Kaiden hurt hearing the sorrow in his friend's voice.

"When do we attack?" James asked.

"Soon. But I need intel first," Hackett said. "I want to know if there are more hiding out there."

"We're ready to assist," Kaiden said.

"I was counting on that." Hackett said.


	3. Chapter 3

In the relative quiet of the liveship's sickbay, Tali lay asleep with her head in Liara's lap. The young Quarian had been nearly inconsolable after learning Shepard's fate, her grief adding to the weight of Liara's own. They cried together, though Liara couldn't help wonder how that worked inside Tali's suit, or if Quarians shed tears. Before long Tali fell asleep.

"Are you two okay?" A Quarian doctor checked Tali's reading on her omni-tool.

"She's fine. Just sleeping," Liara said.

"I'm sure we can find you a bed somewhere."

"No, it's okay. I don't want her waking up alone." Liara said.

The doctor moved along to the next patient. Liara's head nodded, heavy with sleep.

"Liara."

Such a long day.

"Liara."

Who was calling her when she just needed a bit of sleep? Liara opened her eyes. She stood on a grey, empty expanse. An armored figure some distance off walked toward her.

"Liara."

She recognized the voice and knew it was a dream, because Shepard was dead. In the way dreams work, Shepard was suddenly only an arm's length away. Liara didn't know how Shepard died, didn't want to know, but hoped it hadn't been painful. But now, in this dream, Jane looked as beautiful as she had when they first met; red hair, green eyes, a sprinkle of freckles across her nose, and the faint scar through her eyebrow, something Cerberus had fixed when they rebuilt her.

"You are Liara."

"Jane." Liara raised her hand, reaching out for her lover.

"I know you."

Liara pulled her hand back as a sense of dread went through her. "Of course you do."

"I was Jane Shepard."

"Who are you now?" Liara took a step away. She wanted to wake up now, didn't want to know where this dream would lead.

"I don't know yet," Jane looked down. When she looked up again, her eyes were blue, like Saren's, like the Illusive Man's. "I am the control."

"Not you!" Liara ran in slow motion. Looking over her shoulder, she saw not Shepard, but something that looked like a husk reaching out for her.

"Liara."

She opened her eyes with a start.

"Are you okay?" Tali sat in front of Liara, sounding concerned. The Quarian doctor had returned.

"Just a dream," Liara said, mostly to herself. But in the back of her mind, in the part of herself she'd lost when Shepard died, something nagged—something that felt tainted. Liara shook her head as if that were enough to clear the feeling.

"Not a good dream from the noises you were making."

"No, certainly not." Her desire to sleep, and escape from everything this day had brought was gone. She didn't want to risk going back to the dream. "Doctor, do you have a stimulant? It's been a long day."

"Sorry Doctor T'Soni, I'm not stocked for Asari patients."

"I understand. It's best if I got back to work." Liara got out of the bed and straightened her tunic. "Glyph." Her VI info-drone assistant appeared beside her.

"How can I assist you Doctor T'Soni?"

"Have you been cross-checking casualty reports and listed survivors against Shepard's team?"

"As you requested."

"Give me the results."

Tali sat with her legs over the side of the bed, listening.

"Zaeed Massani confirmed dead. Jacob Taylor, wounded, in serious condition. Grunt, wounded, in stable condition. That completes updates to previous report."

"I'm sorry to hear about Zaeed," Tali said.

"I didn't know him," Liara said.

"He was a…colorful character. Not always friendly, but good at his job. And Shepard trusted him, so he couldn't be that bad."

"No, she was an excellent judge of character." The mention of Shepard's name brought a flash from her dream. Again her connection to Shepard brought a twinge. What was that feeling in the place Shepard had been? And why would she dream of Shepard as a husk?

Her omn-tool signalled an incoming message.

"Liara here."

"Liara, it's Kaiden. It looks like it's not over. We spotted Reapers out by the relay."

Her shoulders slumped and she felt tears sting the corner of her eyes. "Wh—" Liara started before her voice caught. "What do you need from me?"


End file.
